


A Dozen Pink Roses

by whatanauthorsgottado (LvanAm)



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Smash Brothers, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Crack, F/M, Minor Character Death, Yes you read that right, and also pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2018-11-30 00:05:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11451867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LvanAm/pseuds/whatanauthorsgottado
Summary: The courtship of the King of Evil and the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.





	1. Chapter 1

He scowled at the colourful shop front across the street, as if it was the shop's fault he was in this predicament. The bouquet of flowers in the front window sat innocently, ignorant of his glare.

He half-wished that the pink and blue flowers in the shop's display window would burst into flame, if only to amuse him. It wouldn't help, but it would be entertaining, at least for a moment.

Truth be told, the flowers were more than simply a target for his glare. They were a possible answer to an awful and perplexing question that had been playing through his mind for days now.

What does one do for the woman they love?

"They should sell fewer varieties," he grumbled. "It would make this far easier."

"Ganondorf?" came a familiar voice from the crowd. He turned to see Captain Falcon watching him, confusion and amusement written on the visible half of his face. "What did that flower shop do to you?"

"Go away," Ganondorf rumbled, turning away. As he turned, another display in the flower shop window caught his eye.

Unfortunately, Captain Falcon followed his gaze. His confusion turned into a smirk.

"Flowers? Really?"

Ganondorf didn't even dignify that with a response, turning to return to the Mansion. Before he could begin to push through the crowds, Falcon grabbed his arm.

"Hang on! I was just kidding! You're not really looking at flowers at all, are you?"

"Let go of me, Falcon," Ganondorf growled, sending a spark of magic down his arm. Falcon pulled away, cursing, and Ganondorf left.

As he stomped his way through the crowd, he heard a high, sweet voice behind him. "Hello, Captain Falcon!"

"Hey, Peach. Out for a walk?"

"Just doing a bit of shopping."

Thank the Goddesses for small mercies. While Falcon was distracted, Ganondorf crossed the street and entered the flower shop.

He was the King of Evil. He could do what he wanted, even buy flowers.

Oddly, that thought didn't make him less nervous.

"Hello! Welcome to Smashville Flowers!" said the girl at the front counter, looking up from her book with a smile that didn't falter upon seeing who was entering the store.

He nodded distractedly and crossed the shop to a bucket of red-petaled flowers.

The whole shop was filled with buckets of all sizes and colours, all filled with different species of flowers. A myriad of different scents warred in the air around him. All in all, the effect was pleasant, but distracting and confusing.

"Would you like some help?"

Ganondorf looked down to find the girl from the front counter craning her neck up at him with a smile. She gestured around the shop. "It's a little much for first-time flower buyers, I know. Do you know what you're looking for?"

Ganondorf said nothing for a moment, then sighed. "No."

"Okay. Who are you looking to buy for?"

"A woman."

"What's her favourite colour?"

"… I believe it is pink."

"Okay. Hm…" She began pacing around the shop, looking for ideas. "Should we go for the classics? Roses always go over well… Maybe carnations? Those are usually for Mother's Day… Does she have a garden at home?"

"I have heard she has extensive gardens at her home."

"Then are flowers really the best choice?" she murmured, then shook her head. "A girl with a garden will love flowers. What's she like?"

"She is kind to everyone, and very friendly."

"So, your total opposite." She grinned. "Just kidding."

"Is all this muttering supposed to be helping?"

"It helps me think. Here. Try those." She pointed him to a bucket of pink roses. "I'm assuming you're looking to woo this girl?"

He looked at her with a deadpan expression.

"Ookay… I'm guessing that means yes. Well, pink roses symbolize love and romance. And pink is her favourite colour, so bonus points!"

He examined the flowers for a moment, then nodded, satisfied. He hefted the bucket onto the counter and spent a few moments choosing the blooms that were well-shaped and had no blemishes.

The shopgirl wrapped the flowers in bright paper and tied them with a ribbon. As he left the shop, he heard her wish him luck.

He ignored her. To get through this with his dignity intact, he'd need more than luck. He'd need a miracle.

* * *

A few feet away from his door stood a table with a vase of white silk roses. The roses had seen better days – for example, when Ganondorf had arrived at the mansion for his first Smash tournament – but the vase and table were in excellent condition, free of dust and polished bright.

After Ganondorf walked by, however, the silk roses lay on the tabletop and the vase had migrated to Ganondorf's desk, now filled with the flowers he had just bought.

 _Now that I have them_ , he thought,  _what am I to do with them?_

He considered giving them directly to her, but discarded that idea. He was a King, and an evil king at that; he would not act like a lovesick puppy. He knew what that looked like; both Heroes had looked like that in the presence of their respective Zeldas. Bowser, too, looked at Peach like that when Mario and his brother were not looking.

Some small, irrational part of himself wondered if he'd ever looked like that, but he dismissed it immediately.

He couldn't think of anything, so for the moment, he left the flowers on the desk and left the room.

That night at dinner – the only event besides Team tournaments and the end-of-tournament gala when all the Smashers were forced to be together, unless they had other commitments – Ganondorf overheard a conversation between Peach, Zelda and Palutena at the end of the table. They were discussing something the Hero had done for Zelda recently.

"He gave me a flower," Zelda said. "A Hylia Lily. I have no idea where he could have gotten one."

Peach giggled. "Master Hand was complaining that someone had trampled the tulips. They grow right beside some Hylia Lilies, don't they?"

"Oh." Zelda rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her fond smile.

Peach giggled again, then sighed dreamily. "I wish someone would send me a flower."

"What about Mario?" Palutena asked.

"No, we're just friends. I think Toadsworth expects us to court eventually, but I just don't think it would work out." She smiled at Zelda. "You're lucky. You and Link have that kind of a connection."

"You'll find someone, Peach."

"I hope so."

Ganondorf ignored the rest of the conversation, having had a brainwave. Just one flower…

_As ideas go, it will do._

* * *

The next morning, Peach left her room to get breakfast and found on her doorstep a single pink rose with a note attached to the stem. The note read 'Princess Peach' and nothing else, not even the name of the sender.

Peach picked up the rose and took it back into her room, intending to study it for a few moments. The note was written on good-quality card paper, in a bold but neat script she didn't recognize. As she had noticed a moment before, there was nothing on it to indicate the writer or sender.

Peach looked at the rose. It was beautiful, finely shaped and a soft pink colour that she absolutely adored. She smiled.

She had an admirer, and a secret one at that! It was so romantic!

She practically skipped down to the dining room for breakfast, sitting beside Zelda and giggling. "Zelda! Did you see the rose?"

"Yes, I saw it. Did the note say who it was from?"

"No, it just said my name. Do you know what this means?"

Zelda knew exactly what it meant, but she let Peach burst anyway. "I have a secret admirer!" Peach giggled again. "It's so romantic!"

"I wonder if we could find out who it was somehow. Do you have the note?"

"No, it's on my desk."

"We'll look at it after breakfast."

Zelda examined the note carefully, flipping it over several times. She noticed something about the back side of the note.

"There's an indent in the paper. See? The writer must have pressed hard with their pen."

"You're right! Maybe my admirer has big hands? But there's lots of people here with big hands, so that doesn't narrow it down much. It's not Bowser's writing, though, I know that much."

"That still doesn't narrow it down… but it's good to know."

"Maybe there will be more, and we can figure it out from them," Peach offered hopefully.

"Maybe."

* * *

The next few days were taken up with a round-robin singles tournament. None of the Smashers could get much time to themselves, but Peach managed to sneak an hour to bake a cake. When she did so, she noticed another rose with her name on it placed next to the sugar. She smiled.

"Maybe I'll use rose water in this cake!" She giggled at her own little joke.

The next flower came after her fifth match, in front of the change room door. She came out of the change room with a grin at her victory, and the smile only widened as she spotted the rose on the floor, note attached to the stem as usual.

"I can't believe my admirer is thinking of me even during a tournament!"

The fourth rose didn't come until after the tournament was over, and it was dropped in front of her door again. The next few flowers came the very same way, placed at all times of the day so the delivery didn't become routine.

Once they had five separate notes, Zelda and Peach put their heads together to try and figure out the identity of her admirer. They couldn't figure out much more than they did from the first note: the admirer wrote with a heavy hand on their pen, they were probably male, and the capital letters were very large compared to the rest of the letters, indicating a strong personality.

"Maybe it's Ike?" Peach suggested.

"Maybe…"

"I don't really like not knowing," Peach admitted. "I mean, it's sweet that they care enough to send flowers, but it would be nice to know who it is, you know?"

"I know what you mean," Zelda agreed.

"Maybe… Maybe I'll write a return note! I should invite my admirer for lunch or dinner and find out who they are!"

"Do you think they'll agree?"

"There's no harm in trying!"

* * *

Ganondorf could not believe his eyes.

She… wanted to go on a date?

He knew rationally that it was only because she didn't know his identity – that if she did know it was him sending the flowers, she wouldn't get within ten feet of him – but some small part of him couldn't help rejoicing at the idea.

Peach wanted to have dinner with him!

He wrote a reply on another piece of card and attached it to another flower, glancing at the vase as he did so. He still had a dozen or so roses; they would do as a bouquet to give to her at the date.

Ganondorf grinned.

He had a date!

* * *

Peach smiled bright as she opened her door to see another rose. This one had the same piece of card attached, but instead of her name, the note read:  _As you wish._

Peach let out a small squeal of joy and dashed off to tell Zelda.

She had a date!

* * *

On the day of the date, there were no battles that involved Peach, so she spent the day getting ready. She decided to wear a dress that matched the exact colour of the roses her admirer had given her, with white lace trim. It was a little more elaborate than her usual dress, and she hoped her admirer would notice. She matched it with rose quartz jewelry around her neck and in her ears, and blue eye shadow to bring out her eyes.

Zelda helped her braid some of her hair back so that it almost looked like a crown around her head. She'd be going without her crown today, so this would be a stand-in. They decided to weave in a pink ribbon that matched her dress, as well.

"Nervous?" Zelda asked with a small smile.

"A little," Peach said. "But I know it'll turn out just fine."

"I'm sure it will." Zelda finished tying back Peach's plait. "There. You look great."

Peach smiled at herself in the mirror, pleased with the effect. "Thank you so much!" She threw her arms around Zelda, then quickly let go. "I should get moving. I don't want to be late!"

* * *

The day of the date finally came. Ganondorf decided to forego his usual armor, opting instead for a black suit with a navy blue pocket square – he would have gone for pink, but he didn't have a pink pocket square, and it would have clashed with his hair.

He also took his hair out of its usual tight coils, pushing it back from his face to be held loosely by his crown. His topaz gem went into its slot on the crown, and he glanced in the mirror. He looked good, if he dared say so himself.

But would it be enough to impress her?

* * *

Ganondorf waited outside the restaurant for his date to arrive – he was fifteen minutes early, and he knew it, but he still couldn't help but worry that she would be late, or worse, would stand him up. He wasn't sure if his currently-fragile dignity could take that.

Especially since he knew there were pictographers in the bushes, just waiting to get a picture of him and his date. If she never showed, they'd have a field day.

Finally, finally, a pink car arrived at the front door of the restaurant, and Ganondorf stood straight. She'd said to meet her at exactly this point at this time… what would she say now?

The Toad driver opened the back door to reveal Princess Peach. As she stepped out of the car, Ganondorf found his breath stolen away.

She was beautiful, a vision in a pink dress that set off her features perfectly. Her hair was braided back and her head was devoid of her usual crown, but he found that he appreciated that. Her crown was cutesy; without it, she looked like a grown woman.

He recovered his brain just as she looked towards him. He reached out, flowers in his hand.

"For you."

A micro-expression of surprise flashed across Peach's face, but then it was gone, and she smiled warmly. "Thank you! They're beautiful!" She brought them to her nose, closing her eyes and breathing in their scent. Ganondorf enjoyed the smile on her face as she did so.

"Shall we?" He held out his arm and she placed her hand into the crook of his elbow.

"We shall."

* * *

They enjoyed a nice dinner together, chatting about inconsequential things at first, but moving into more serious topics as they started on the entrees. Over desserts, Peach finally asked the question that he'd been expecting since her car door had opened.

"So… may I ask why you did all this?"

Having expected the question didn't make the answering any easier. "I… I care for you. A great deal. And I wanted to tell you, somehow." He cursed his stumbling tongue. How dare it make him sound like a lovesick boy?

Peach smiled softly, looking down at her plate with a blush gracing her cheeks. "I'm glad you did. This has been a wonderful night. I didn't know you very well, and, well… well, I wasn't expecting this from you. It's been a wonderful surprise."

He held his breath, and held out his hand, palm up. She reached out and placed her hand in his. He let out the breath, slowly, and smiled.

Peach unexpectedly let out a little laugh. "You have a very nice smile! You don't show it often enough."

"Well, I am the King of Evil," he replied dryly, and she laughed again.

When dinner was finished, Ganondorf offered to escort Peach back to the mansion.

"I'd love that."

Ganondorf gestured to the valet, who went to prepare his horse. Peach watched this with interest. "You have a car?"

"I do not. I have a horse."

"Oh! I love horses!"

He smiled slightly. "Good."

The valet returned in a few minutes, leading Ganondorf's massive steed by the reins. Ganondorf tossed the man a coin and took hold of the reins. He turned back to Peach to find her gaping at the horse.

"His name is Sandstorm," he offered lightly.

"Sandstorm," she murmured, drawing closer. She reached up to pet him. The horse bent his great head down to meet her, and she stroked her hand lightly over his neck with a smile.

"You're a nice horse, aren't you?"

"He is an excellent mount, and a good traveling companion."

Peach turned back to Ganondorf. "We're going to ride him home?"

"No, I was thinking we would walk him home." Peach laughed.

"May I?" Ganondorf offered, indicating his intent. At her nod, he took her by the hips and lifted her into the saddle, then mounted so that he was sitting behind her.

"Comfortable?"

"Oh yes," she replied slightly breathlessly. Then she giggled. "It's nice to be this tall!"

"I have always enjoyed it."

She giggled again. Ganondorf touched his heels to Sandstorm's flanks, and the horse brought them out of the restaurant courtyard and into the street.

When they reached the entrance to Smash Mansion, Ganondorf stopped Sandstorm, then looked down at Peach. "Would you like some help getting down?"

"Yes, please."

He dismounted, then held out his arms to serve as a support for her to slide off of the saddle. She landed lightly on the ground in front of him and smiled up at him.

"Thank you for the wonderful night," she said.

Was it just him, or was she leaning up…?

It wasn't just him, apparently, because the next second, she jumped up and landed a kiss on his cheek. With that, she headed off toward the door, looking back with a wink before she entered.

Ganondorf stood there, hand pressed to his cheek where she'd kissed him and a goofy smile plastered on his face, for some time. Finally, he gathered his scattered thoughts, mounted Sandstorm, and made for the stables.

She was…  _good_.


	2. Chapter 2

"Your secret admirer was  _who_?!"

Peach had never seen Zelda react like this. The other princess was doing something that could only be described as freaking out, pacing around the room and gesturing wildly with her hands.

"Ganondorf."

"I can't believe it. Did he do anything? Did he hurt you? Say anything rude? Anything?"

"No. He was a perfect gentleman the whole night." Peach watched Zelda in bemusement. "Is it really that surprising?"

"Peach, he's the King of Evil for a reason. My grandmother said that she had awful dreams... nightmares, about Ganondorf taking over Hyrule and destroying it completely. And I had awful headaches and nightmares caused by him. Of course it's that surprising."

"Well... I'm sorry to hear about what he's done in your world, but things are different here. And besides, all that's in the past. He's from after that time."

"I know when he's from, but that doesn't make him a different man." Zelda stopped pacing with a sigh, and looked Peach in the eye. "Just promise me you'll be careful around him. I worry about you. I know you like to see the good in people, even where others can't, but sometimes you have to look at what's actually there. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Peach nodded and smiled at her friend. "Of course. And thank you for worrying about me; I really appreciate it."

"Of course. Isn't that what friends are for?"

* * *

The next day, the whole Mansion was abuzz with the news. Someone had seen Princess Peach arrive at the gates on Ganondorf's horse, with him in the saddle... What was happening? Were they... _dating_?

It seemed like half of the Mansion's inhabitants approached Peach with questions while she was trying to eat breakfast. What had she been doing with the King of Evil? Did they have a date? What was he like really?

Peach tried to brush off the questioners as best she could, but she found that they were relentless. To try and escape them, she headed off to the tennis courts, intending to practice her backhand against a Mii.

A few minutes into the practice, she noticed she had someone watching. She called for a time out and went over to find out who it was.

It was Ganondorf.

"Hello!"

"Good morning," he grumbled. "I can't seem to get rid of the pests bothering me with questions about our date last night."

"Oh, I've been having the same problem. That's why I came out here. No one bothers anyone who's trying to play a sport."

"Perhaps I should try it, then."

Peach smiled. "Maybe you should. Have you ever played tennis before?"

"I have not."

"Oh! Do you want me to show you how?"

Peach showed Ganondorf the basic swings while he watched intently. After a few moments, he picked up a racquet of his own and headed out onto the adjacent court with a Mii.

One spectacular failure later, he found himself in a doubles match beside Peach, facing a pair of Miis on the lowest difficulty setting. He watched Peach swing the racquet with ease, and managed to pick up the skills well enough that he didn't totally embarrass himself on the court.

When the match was over, Peach turned to him with a bright smile, face flushed and skin glistening with sweat. He had an awful thought that made him want to pray to the Goddesses not to strike him down where he stood, but he managed to gather himself and dismiss it as she began speaking.

"Good job! You picked it up really quickly!"

"It is not an overly difficult concept, though it requires more skill to place the ball than I had anticipated."

"I know what you mean. My first few games were terrible! Luckily, I had a good teacher to show me how to play."

"As did I."

She started, then smiled brightly at him. "Thank you! I'm not that good, really, but I'm glad I could help you!"

"I do not give compliments lightly," he replied, as gently as he could. "I said you were a good teacher, and I meant it."

"Well, thank you, then." She smiled again. "I usually swim a few laps in the pool after a workout; would you like to join me?"

"I would, but I...I don't swim." He gave her a wan smile. "I'm afraid water is not my element."

"Oh, alright. Then why don't we go for a walk in the gardens after my swim? It's a beautiful day, and it wouldn't do to waste it."

"That sounds..." He was a little reluctant, but something in him wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, so he agreed. "That sounds like an excellent plan. I shall meet you in the gardens in an hour."

"See you then!"

* * *

Ganondorf found himself stopped on his way back into the mansion by Mario, who had a stern expression on his face.

"Ganondorf," he said.

"Mario."

"I wanna talk to you for a second. What do you want with Peach?"

"I don't believe it's any of your business." Ganondorf tried to push past Mario, but the smaller man stood firm.

"As Peach's friend, I'm-a pretty sure it is." He looked at Ganondorf with a firm but not unpleasant expression. "Look. I don't-a wanna believe that you're gonna hurt her. I don't-a think you would. Not here, at least. I just-a wanna know what you wanna do with her."

"Nothing."

"Now that's a lie if I ever heard one."

Ganondorf glowered at Mario, but he didn't flinch at all. Finally, after a short battle of wills, Ganondorf sighed. "I don't intend to harm her. I want to get to know her better."

"And-a the kingdom?"

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. "I do not follow your meaning."

"What do you want with the Mushroom Kingdom? You know that she's-a the ruler there; what are you planning?"

"I hadn't thought much about it." That was true; the idea of taking over the Mushroom Kingdom hadn't occurred to him. He knew that Peach ruled it and that if he truly intended to court her – which he did – he may eventually have some measure of power over it, but he hadn't thought about what he might do if that came to pass. "I don't intend to destroy it, or make it a target of conquest as I once did Hyrule, if that is what you meant."

Mario studied him for a moment, then stepped aside. "Okay. I believe-a you. But if you do anything to hurt Peach, or anything like-a that..." He left the unspoken threat hanging in the air.

"I understand."

Ganondorf continued on his way, considering this confrontation. He respected Mario - the man was the unspoken leader of the Smashers, after all, and he was also a hero of some fair renown, even in Hyrule. It was good to know the man trusted him with Peach, even if only conditionally. He hadn't expected him to, if he was honest with himself.

Truth be told, Ganondorf didn't even trust himself with Peach sometimes. She was so... delicate, like one of the roses he had given her. It seemed like one wrong move could destroy her. He hoped that he wouldn't be the one to make that move.

* * *

Peach waited for Ganondorf at the entrance to the gardens, and was not disappointed: he entered the entrance hall at precisely the appointed time.

She was surprised at his appearance: he wasn't wearing his usual armor, as he had been earlier. Instead, he was wearing a light, flowing shirt made of some kind of silk, and loose black trousers of the same material. Just like the night before, his hair was loosely held back with his crown.

Peach had to admit she liked the effect. He looked almost approachable.

Approachable or not, she approached him with a smile that was returned, albeit slighter. He held out his arm to her, and she took it, placing her hand in the crook of his elbow.

They walked around the gardens for almost an hour, chatting and enjoying the day. Ganondorf told her about his trip to the florist, which made her laugh. How sweet of him, to go to a place so out of his element that he may as well have been a fish trying to swim through land, all for her! She told him so, and he laughed.

"Few would describe me as sweet."

"Well, that is sweet."

At one point, they went into the hedge maze that Crazy Hand had cultivated a long time ago, whose hedges were too tall for anyone to see over, even Ganondorf. Peach, though, had an idea.

"What if I got up on your shoulders? I've heard there's a neat prize in the middle of the hedge maze, but no one's been able to find it yet. Wouldn't it be great if we found it?"

Ganondorf pretended to consider her idea with a smile, then nodded. "That is an excellent idea." He bent down, and Peach climbed onto his shoulders.

She could indeed see over the hedges from her current height. "I see the way! Forward!"

She called out directions as they walked through the maze, making their merry way toward the center. Ganondorf occasionally pretended to grumble about Peach's weight on his shoulders, but it only ever elicited a laugh, as she knew it was meant lightheartedly.

Finally, they reached the center. Standing on a platform with stairs leading up to it was a golden treasure chest. Peach leapt from Ganondorf's shoulders and dashed towards the chest with speed that surprised him.

Just before she opened the chest, she paused and looked back at Ganondorf. "Come on! Let's open the chest together!"

Ganondorf followed her up the stairs and bent down to touch the chest. She took his hand and moved it to the lock beside hers. Together, they pushed the top of the chest open, revealing a bright light that faded slowly to reveal a gold ring.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Peach carefully took the ring from the chest and offered it to Ganondorf. "Look!"

He looked closely at the ring. The stone – a flawless diamond - was ovular in shape, held into the ring by gold claw shapes at four points. Studying it closely, he could feel the magic in the stone.

"It has a protective enchantment on it," he said. He closed her hand around it gently. "Keep it."

"Are you sure?"

He laughed a little. "I don't need a protective ring. The Triforce protects me."

"I see." Peach slid the ring onto her pinky finger. "It fits perfectly!"

"It does indeed." He stood and offered her his hand to help her up. "Let's return to the Mansion. I believe it's nearly dinner time."

"You're right! And Master Hand hates it when we're late!"

* * *

Later that night, Peach showed Zelda the ring. "Look what we found in the hedge maze!"

"We?"

"Ganondorf and I. We went for a walk and decided to go into the hedge maze. And we found the middle, and there was a chest with this ring in it! Ganondorf says it has a protective enchantment on it."

"It does, and a very powerful one, at that. It reminds me of the feeling of Nayru's Love."

"He told me to keep it." Peach giggled. "He's already giving me a ring! It's not that kind of ring, though. I can only imagine what Toadsworth would say…"

Zelda looked vaguely uncomfortable, but she smiled anyway, trying to make it not look like a grimace. "That's good of him."

"Isn't it? But he laughed when I told him it was sweet. I mean, I know he's the King of Evil and all that, but I think deep down, he's not really all that evil after all!"

"If you say so. Can I examine this ring further?"

"Sure!" Peach handed Zelda the ring. Zelda took it, and the Triforce mark on her hand began to glow.

Peach watched as Zelda closed her eyes, focusing her power on the ring. The ring didn't seem to do anything at all, but Zelda soon opened her eyes and nodded, satisfied.

"It is a very strong enchantment. It will turn away any attack, protecting you with a bubble of light. I don't know how many attacks it can withstand, though; best to save it for dire emergencies."

"Good idea. I wonder if it would work in a match?"

"Since we're already under protective enchantments during a match, I'd say probably not."

"I see." Peach put the ring back on, admiring the way it sparkled on her hand.

Then she gasped.

"Oh, I forgot Toadsworth is coming tomorrow! He'll want to know where the ring is from!"

"What are you going to tell him?"

"Well… I don't think I'll be able to keep Ganondorf a secret from him. I'll tell him the truth."

"I'm not sure whether that's a good idea or not, but it will probably be easier to tell him than to try to keep it a secret."

"That's what I was thinking." She thought for a moment. "I'd better tell Ganondorf that he's coming; Toadsworth will want to meet him…"

* * *

The next day, Peach woke up and went down for breakfast extra early, since she'd heard that was when Ganondorf liked to eat. Sure enough, she found him sitting at the head of the long table the Smashes ate at, digging into a pile of ham slices.

She watched him from the door for a moment. He had excellent table manners, taking small bites and chewing thoroughly before taking another. It was nice to see, in a mansion full of people who often ate like slobs. It also reassured her that Toadsworth would find few faults in Ganondorf.

Ganondorf looked up from his plate to see her watching him, and gestured for her to come over. After filling up a plate for herself, she sat beside him and smiled in greeting.

"Good morning!" she said brightly.

"Good morning. You're not usually up this early; may I ask what the occasion is?"

"Well, actually, I wanted to find you. My grandfather is visiting the mansion today."

He choked slightly but recovered quickly. "I see. Don't tell me you wanted to introduce us."

"Actually, yes. If you really intend to court me, you'll have to meet him sooner or later; he's my guardian, after all, and protocol dictates you have to have his approval to court me properly."

Ganondorf eyed her appraisingly. "Maybe I'll just steal you away," he said. "Take you back to Hyrule and make you my queen there."

Peach hit him lightly on the arm. "It won't come to that. Toadsworth will like you, I'm sure of it."

* * *

" _Who_  is courting you?!"

"Ganondorf."

Peach and Toadsworth sat in her room. Zelda was absent, giving them the privacy to discuss Peach's suitor.

"I – but – you – he –"

"He's been nothing but a gentleman to me, throughout each of the Tournaments we've both attended," Peach cut him off. "He's kind to me, and that's really all that matters."

"But – Princess, he's a tyrant and a fiend. It's not for nothing that he's called the King of Evil! And his appearance – well, he's quite terrifying! Your people will never accept him as King Consort!"

"They will if I vouch for him. And if we can get Mario and Luigi to vouch for him, they may even come to like him."

"Masters Mario and Luigi will never stand for this!"

"Perhaps we should ask them their opinions, instead of making assumptions."

"Princess, as your guardian –"

"Grandfather." Her calm voice, though not loud, overpowered his and cut him off once more. "I care for him, a great deal. Please, just meet him before you make your decision."

"I – oh, very well. I will meet him." At Peach's smile, he added, "But I will be talking to Master Mario about this!"

"That's fine. Now, I've asked him to meet us for lunch…"

* * *

The first course of lunch was spent with Toadsworth staring at Ganondorf while the latter ate and chatted with Peach, occasionally staring back at Toadsworth as though to make a point. When the entrees arrived, Toadsworth started asking Ganondorf questions – what was his background, how he'd been raised, what made him interested in Peach – and Ganondorf answered as best he could, or in the manner he thought Toadsworth would most like to hear. He didn't, for instance, mention that the Gerudo that he'd ruled were all female, nor did he mention that the way they lived had been by stealing from others.

Peach listened intently to his answers as well, as she was interested in his background. She didn't much appreciate the interrogatory tone of the questions, though, and she tried to make that wordlessly clear to Toadsworth.

He didn't seem to notice.

Finally, finally, dessert and the questioning were over, and Toadsworth sat and considered Ganondorf for a moment over his little round spectacles.

"You seem to be of a decent sort, your nasty reputation notwithstanding," Toadsworth said finally. "I therefore grant you my blessing to continue your courtship of Princess Peach. Conditionally."

"Grandfather!"

Ganondorf waved her down. "It is no matter. May I ask what the conditions are?"

"Masters Mario and Luigi have to approve of you, as well."

"Very well."

"I plan to speak to them immediately upon our return to the Mansion," Toadsworth warned. "You will not have time to speak to them before I do."

"I've already spoken to Mario."

"Did you?" Peach asked. "What did he say?"

"It matters little. What does matter is that we came to an agreement." Ganondorf refocused on Toadsworth. "I think you'll find that he doesn't have any objections."

"We'll see."

* * *

True to his word, Toadsworth met with Mario and Luigi right after they returned to the Mansion. He came out of the meeting with an almost defeated look on his face.

"Masters Mario and Luigi did not object to your courtship," he informed Ganondorf. "As such, you are now considered an official suitor for the hand of Princess Peach."

Ganondorf nodded. "Very well."

Toadsworth squinted at him. "I'll still be watching you. Any hint of misbehaviour towards the Princess, and you'll never see her again."

"I understand. I would never harm her."

"Good."


	3. Chapter 3

Ganondorf, mid-bite of breakfast, scowled as a large pile of books landed on the table next to him. His scowl deepened, then disappeared as Toadsworth climbed into the seat next to him and caught his eye.

"What is all this?"

"The Laws of Royal Courtship of the Mushroom Kingdom," Toadsworth announced. "Study them well, as you'll be expected to follow them to the letter regardless of whether or not you're a citizen of our world."

With that, Toadsworth hopped off the chair and took his leave, leaving Ganondorf to glare at the pile of books as he continued his breakfast.

_Courtship law. Bah._

It was lucky that he had experience in dealing with idiotic political and legal protocols in his dealings with Hyrule, or he'd have been tempted to 'accidentally' set the books on fire.

* * *

"Grandfather, you didn't," Peach said, placing a hand on her forehead.

"I most certainly did. If he intends to court you properly, there are rules that must be followed."

"I understand, but it wasn't necessary to give him all the books. You and I both know that only one of them is accurate to the current laws."

"Is that so? Oh dear. Well, my memory's not what it used to be. Anywho, since I have you here, there are several matters of state that must be addressed..."

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Ganondorf groused. "How is anyone to be courted when there are so many redundant and conflicting laws?"

A light knock suddenly sounded at the door. He stomped over to reveal Peach, who smiled brightly at him. He vaguely wondered if she knew about his predicament, and if she had orchestrated it, before discarding the thought. No, this was all Toadsworth.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning. Is there a reason you've come, or is this a social call? Not that I mind either way."

"Actually, I came because I heard that Grandfather had given you the Courtship Law books." She frowned slightly. "What he didn't tell you is which book is the current one."

"I see."

She could see murder building in his eyes, so she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"May I offer my help in sorting out this mess?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, but nodded and moved aside to allow her entrance. She crossed over to the desk and shifted the books around so she could pick up the one from the bottom of the pile.

"This is the current law book." She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Of course Grandfather put it at the bottom of the pile."

"He seems to have something against my suit." Ganondorf crossed his arms over his chest. "He still doesn't like me, though why he approved my suit despite his feelings about me is beyond me."

Peach sighed. "He's been hoping for years that Mario would present a suit. He refuses to give up hope despite all the signs that Mario would never make a move, and that I didn't want him to."

"I see."

"Yes. And unfortunately, your reputation hasn't done anything to help your case. Grandfather finds it much easier to hold a grudge than I do."

"And how do you feel about my reputation?"

"I don't really – well, it matters, but not as much to me as to my country. I accept that you've done what you've done, and I know it's in the past."

"Hm."

There was a short silence, then Peach handed Ganondorf the book.

"The part that you'll have to read is in the back of the book, the part for male suitors." She opened the book to the table of contents and indicated the page number.

"Thank you." He closed the book, placed it on the desk, and leaned down to kiss Peach.

As they pulled back, she giggled. "You know, there's a law regarding public displays of affection."

Ganondorf waved his hand, and the door closed behind him.

"This is hardly a public area," he said, pulling her into his arms and leaning down to kiss her again.

* * *

By the end of the next week, Ganondorf was certain he had the courtship laws memorized backwards and forwards. Many of them were fairly straightforward, but some of the behavioural guidelines were ridiculous – especially those that governed party etiquette and dress. As a foreign ruler who was courting the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, their protocol dictated that he had to have a different suit or robe for every occasion, whether or not his current ones were still serviceable. Ridiculous.

Still, if this was what was necessary to court Peach...

In any case, he now understood the requirements and protocols that were important to his continuing courtship. And he knew where he might need to change his behaviour when he was in public with her, so that it at least looked proper.

After all, propriety is more about appearances than about one's actual actions, something Ganondorf had long understood, whether or not he'd been able to act on it.

* * *

The Smashers were all at dinner together when it happened.

Out of the blue, a black cloud covered the hill the Mansion stood on. A torrential downpour began, and thunder crashed around the Mansion. The clouds began to swirl.

At that point, most of the Smashers had abandoned their dinners and now stood on the porch in the pouring rain, staring up with expressions ranging from fear to trepidation to mild irritation and anger at the swirling mass of clouds.

As the last of the Smashers joined the others outside, a horrifying figure came descending from the clouds to stand on the grass before the porch. The familiar figure caused panicked whispers to erupt among the Smashers, before it raised its hands.

The first Off Waves scattered the Smashers. The next barrage threw many away like rag dolls in the face of a child's fury. Some, like Ganondorf, remained standing till the last of the Off Waves dispersed, but Tabuu didn't end his attack there. A Chain of Light whipped at the Smashers who hadn't been scattered, and sent them flying through the air to destinations unknown.

In the end, Tabuu stood alone in the ruins of the Smash Mansion, Master Hand and Crazy Hand lying at his feet.

" _None can defeat me now_ ," he murmured, raising his head toward the cloud above. He disappeared into the Subspace portal, leaving the ruins smoldering atop the hill.


	4. Chapter 4

"Ugh..."

Peach woke with a groan and a slight headache. She closed her eyes again, cutting off the blinding light.

Then she shot to her feet as the memory of what had happened came rushing back.

"Tabuu is back! How could he possibly be back?! And he... he came into this world instead of only being able to exist in Subspace..."

Glancing around, she noted that she was alone in an unknown forest. She wasn't sure where home was, or where the other Smashers had been scattered to, but she knew that she needed to make her way back to the Mansion. After the disaster during the last Tournament, the Smashers had all agreed that if they were scattered but able, they should head back to the Mansion as soon as possible.

With that thought, Peach set out. Since she wasn't sure where the Mansion was, so she chose whichever direction felt right and went that way.

Several hours of walking later, she came upon a line of broken trees. She stepped over the fallen logs and gasped.

There, in the middle of a small crater, was Ganondorf.

She suspected that as soon as she returned him from trophy form he'd be rather the worse for wear, but seeing him sent a rush of relief through her. He was safe, and she felt whole.

She rushed over to him and tapped the trophy base, freeing him from his frozen state. Luckily, he seemed to have been in trophy form while he landed: he had only one wound, a slash across his chest that had apparently been mostly absorbed by his armor, since the actual injury was quite shallow.

He sat up with a groan. "Peach?"

"I'm here."

"Where are we?"

"I'm not sure. A forest somewhere, that's as much as I can tell."

"I see." He grumbled something in another language, then stood.

"Be careful! It looks like you took a hit from Tabuu's chain."

Ganondorf waved it off. "It's hardly worth worrying about." The wound began to glow, and a second later it closed as if it had never been there.

"Good as new."

"Oh, good. Well, shall we head out?"

"Not right now. It's nearly sunset; we should make camp and rest for the night."

"Oh! That's a good idea." She glanced around. "I can go and look for firewood."

"No need. I can create a magical fire."

"Oh. Then what can I do?"

"You can wait here."

Peach frowned. "I don't want to do nothing."

"Can you hunt?"

"No, but I know a lot about plants. I can find something we can eat around here, I'm sure."

"That will do." He nodded. "I'll set up a shelter and create a fire. You can forage. Return here before the sun sets completely."

"I will."

Peach went happily about her task, gathering enough edible plants for something of a salad, along with several herbs in case they needed to season anything – like meat.

Sure enough, when she came back, Ganondorf was roasting some sort of wild animal on a spit over a small fire. She handed him the herbs she'd gathered and he nodded his thanks as she sat beside him on one of the fallen logs.

"These will do nicely. Was that all you gathered?"

"No, I also found some plants for a salad."

Ganondorf made a bit of a face. "I never did like vegetables."

"Well, they'll help us stay healthy. It's important to get all your nutrients."

He gave her a sideways glance and a low chuckle. "It's cute how you worry about my health."

"Well, you know, we only have each other out here for now. And…" she turned her face away slightly, blushing. "I care about you."

With a finger on her chin, he turned her head to face him, pressing a kiss to her lips. "Thank you. I've very rarely had anyone who worried about my welfare."

"Well, you have me now."

* * *

After a hearty meal, Ganondorf rigged up a shelter using the logs around and a large tarp he conjured.

At first, Ganondorf tried to keep a respectful distance from Peach, but it became harder when she fell asleep and consequently pressed herself into his chest. He wasn't quite sure what to do with his hands, so he held them by his sides until she started shivering slightly in her sleep. At that point, he decided that any possible rules of propriety could go hang themselves and wrapped his arms around her slim form, pulling her in tight to his chest.

There was one part of his anatomy that was excited by this move – well, more than one, but the other one was more pressing. He tried to will away his erection with disgusting thoughts, but it was clear that having the object of his affections pressed up against him was a more powerful aphrodisiac than pretty much anything else he could think of.

Eventually, he managed to stop thinking about it and fall asleep.

* * *

Peach woke up slowly, comfortably snuggled against something rather hard and warm. She stretched slightly against the surface and was rewarded with a strangled moan. She moved again, wriggling closer to whatever it was, only to receive a grunt and movement from the thing in return.

Finally waking up properly, Peach belatedly remembered where she was and who she was wriggling against. She blushed hard and stopped moving completely.

She opened one eye tentatively to find Ganondorf looking at her, amusement and embarrassment written on his face.

Embarrassment?

She suddenly realized where she was and what exactly she was near, in a rush that had her blushing even harder. Even so, she didn't break eye contact with Ganondorf. She just smiled her best politician's smile, covering anything she was feeling with a bright façade.

"Good morning," she whispered.

"I would say so," he muttered back with a filthy grin that made her want to straddle him.

"You would." She smacked his arm with her free hand.

With that, he released her, and she rolled away from him, sitting up and them standing to step out from under their tarp.

"Should I go find us some breakfast?" she asked, pointedly keeping her eyes off of Ganondorf as he put his armor back on.

"That would be a good idea."

She headed out of the clearing, mind definitely not on Ganondorf and how he'd felt pressed up against her.

* * *

Over the next several days, they traveled an unknown distance west, in what Ganondorf said was the general direction of Smash Mansion. They hadn't yet made it out of the forest, but every day the trees thinned out more and more, indicating that the woods were coming to an end.

Each night, the two started out sleeping several feet apart, but inevitably they'd wake up side by side, often with Ganondorf's arms around Peach. It was becoming more and more difficult for them both to stop themselves, but neither of them wanted to voice their feelings – Ganondorf because he felt like he'd be forcing himself on her, and Peach because she felt he would look down on her for being so forward.

About a week after the attack on Smash Mansion found Peach and Ganondorf sitting together by the fire. She stared intently into the flames as though they could answer the secrets of the universe.

Ganondorf stared at Peach.

He admired the way the red firelight lent her hair a bright glow, and how the blue of her eyes intensified in the light. The intense look in her eyes only added to her appeal, and he couldn't resist her any longer.

"Peach."

She looked away from the fire right into his eyes, the gold of his irises captivating her. She could stay locked in his gaze forever.

It seemed natural that they should come together, pressing their lips together, at first chastely, then with increasing fire until they couldn't breathe for the passion. They separated for a moment, gasping for breath, then came back together with such force it nearly drove the breath from them again.

Peach began to pull at Ganondorf's tunic, just as he reached around her back and began fumbling with the strings of her dress.

"Peach," he rumbled, breaking the kiss for a moment. "Are you sure? I'm afraid… I won't be able to stop myself."

"I don't want you to stop."

* * *

 **A/N** : There's definitely smut here, but I didn't want to raise the rating of this fic. Instead, anyone who wants to read it can PM me on FFN or Tumblr or whatever and I'll send you a copy.


	5. Chapter 5

It took them a month and a half to cross the continent and return to the Smash Mansion.

They found when they left the forest that they had been thrown onto a tall plateau, with no way down but a slow and arduous climb. The climb from the top took them two days, picking their way carefully down the rock wall.

As they travelled, they grew closer to each other. Gone were the days of nervousness and secrecy; they could now ask the other anything and expect a full answer. Peach knew more than she ever hoped she'd know about Ganondorf's people and past.

During their travels, they occasionally met people on the road – refugees fleeing Smashville and the surrounding areas. They told the pair stories of how Tabuu had rained destruction down on the world, promising vengeance for his defeat at the hands of the Smashers. Ganondorf had expected this when Tabuu attacked Smash Mansion; Peach hadn't, and was horrified to hear what the Subspace beast had done to the people. She promised everyone they met that they were returning to meet the other Smashers, and that they would put an end to Tabuu once and for all.

When they made it back to Smash Mansion, Peach was blown away with how the house had been destroyed. Very little of the original structure was left: only a few timbers and some parts of the basement games room survived. Instead, the Smashers stayed in tents scattered within the grounds, while the games room had been turned into a war room.

There were only a few Smashers who'd made their way back to the Mansion: Mario, Samus, Palutena and Pit, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi.

When Peach and Ganondorf made their way onto the grounds, Mario was the first to spot them. He immediately came over and pulled Peach into a hug.

"It's so good to see you again, Princess."

"Mario, I'm glad you're safe! Where's Luigi?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. He'll turn up-a soon, I'm sure." He gestured to the largest tent. "Come on, let's get you a couple of tents."

"I think we'll only need one," Peach murmured, blushing lightly when Mario looked at her.

"Princess…"

"I'm an adult, Mario. And I appreciate you worrying about me, but…" She reached back to take Ganondorf's hand with a smile at him. "I'm not doing anything I don't want to."

He studied her for a moment longer, then nodded. "Okay."

Inside the largest tent was a small kitchen area and a couple of storage bins that Peach recognized as being the dimensional storage bins from the basement, which were probably being used tor supply storage.

She was proven right when Mario opened one of the bins and began rummaging around, coming out with a large tent and a pair of sleeping bags. He handed them to Ganondorf, then opened one of the other bins and began pulling out some ingredients.

"You look a little thinner. Have you-a been eating alright?"

"Yes, we have. But we've also come a long distance."

"You'll have to tell-a me all about it as we eat." Mario smiled. "How about-a pasta?"

Peach giggled. "Is that all you know how to make?"

"No, it's-a just easy."

"It sounds good," she reassured him.

"Fine by me," Ganondorf said.

* * *

Later on, after Ganondorf and Peach had set up their tent and were lying in their sleeping bag, Peach laid her head on Ganondorf's chest and sighed.

"What is it?"

"I… I have something to tell you."

"Don't keep me in suspense."

She traced a finger down his chest and sighed again. "Well… I don't know how to say this, really…"

Ganondorf pulled her face up to meet his in a brief kiss on her forehead. "Just spit it out."

"Okay… I'm pregnant."

Ganondorf's heart stopped.

"Are… you sure?" he forced out.

She nodded, turning her face to meet his eyes. "I haven't… well, I just know."

A broad smile made its way across his face, and he wrapped his arms around her, sitting up and pulling her onto his lap. He laid a hand on her belly. He knew there wouldn't be anything to feel yet, but his child was there, growing inside her.

He pressed another kiss to her forehead. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

"But what if we don't defeat Tabuu before it's time? I don't want to raise a child in a world like this."

"We will. I will make sure of it. No child of mine will come into a world in peril."

* * *

Over the next month, the pair were kept busy, helping with war planning and search partying to find other Smashers. As far as Master Hand could tell, the Smashers who had already assembled had been thrown the farthest away, and the others were only a short distance away, usually adding up to about a day or so of walking to reach.

By the time four months had passed since the attack on Smash Mansion, most of the Smashers had assembled at the ruins.

Finally, it was time to plan their counterattack.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much they could do until Tabuu revealed himself once more. They had no way into Subspace to fight him directly, so their plans hinged on the fact that Tabuu would be back to finish off the Smashers if he heard they had returned.

It was decided that when Tabuu arrived, their fastest hitters would attack immediately, aiming for his wings to lower the power of his Off Waves. Their harder hitters would then move in to distract him from the rest. Meanwhile, Master and Crazy Hand would prepare a ritual to destroy Tabuu for good – or at least lock him into Subspace so that he could no longer leave.

Peach was chosen as one of the advance team. Ganondorf was part of the second wave.

* * *

For two weeks, the Smashers made their presence as obvious as they could – smoky bonfires were going every hour of the day, they made scouting trips into Smashville, and they even started to rebuild the Smash Mansion.

Finally, the dark clouds began to gather once more. The advance team prepared their attacks.

The moment Tabuu emerged from the cloud, the team members were in the air, unleashing their strongest attacks on him. Peach landed a solid hit with her frying pan right on the base of Tabuu's left wing, and swung again away from his body, shattering one of the crystalline structures of his wing.

In return, Peach received a slash to the chest. A shining silver shield appeared as if from nowhere, but she was still sent flying by the impact. She landed in a heap in front of Ganondorf.

He immediately dropped to his knees to check if she was alright. She'd hit the ground hard, without a shield, and she wasn't moving. He checked her pulse.

Nothing.

Immediately, his eyes went to Tabuu. A rage unlike anything he'd felt since his first occupation of Hyrule filled him, and he let out a bestial roar.

Those around him scattered as dark magic sparked in the air around him and his body began to twist and change shape. His armor disappeared, replaced by a thick fur coat. Tusks sprouted from his jaw as his skull doubled, then tripled in size. He dropped to all fours, and roared once more as the transformation finished.

Ganon leapt into the air, charging straight at Tabuu with a speed seemingly impossible for such a large beast. He stabbed Tabuu with his massive tusks, tossing him back over his head. The two hit the ground with such force that the earth shook.

Ganon didn't let up. He charged again, leaping on top of Tabuu and pinning him to the ground. With another roar, Ganon went straight for Tabuu's central organ, tearing it out of him. Tabuu screeched as Ganon chomped down on the organ, imbuing his teeth with dark magic.

Ganon was so incensed that he didn't realize Tabuu was already gone for some time, rearing up and slamming the ground repeatedly where Tabuu had been pinned, still gnashing his teeth.

When he was finished, his rage spent, he transformed back into Ganondorf. He collapsed to the ground, exhausted, but willed himself back to his feet after a moment.

He stumbled over to Peach, dropping to his knees beside her prone form. Mario was performing CPR on her, keeping her alive for the moment. Ganondorf took her hand.

Ganondorf stared at her with blind eyes, willing her to sit up, to open her eyes, anything. All of a sudden, something hit him: there was a red spot on her skirts, and it was slowly growing.

"No," he whispered. "No!"

Suddenly, he felt a touch on his shoulder. He turned around to see the white form of Master Hand, who waved. Ganondorf's exhaustion hit him with the force of a galloping horse, and he passed out beside his lover.

* * *

Where was he?

His eyes snapped open to the sight of the inside of a tent. He didn't feel Peach's warmth next to him, and he wondered if she'd gotten up early for some reason.

Then, the memory of what had happened hit him, and he leapt to his feet.

"Where's Peach?" he demanded of the nearest person, who happened to be Mario.

"She's alright," he said quietly. "She's in the next-a tent. But there's –"

Before Mario could finish, Ganondorf was already out of the tent. Mario dashed out to catch up to him, but Ganondorf was already in Peach's tent before he could be stopped.

"I tried to warn you," Mario muttered.

Ganondorf slowly stepped up to Peach's bed, kneeling beside her and taking her hand. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, and she sat up and looked at Ganondorf with a small smile.

It disappeared in the next second, and she looked away, tears pooling in her eyes.

"It's good to see you again," Ganondorf murmured. "What's wrong, my love?"

"I…" She let out a sob, and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. "I'm so sorry, Ganondorf…"

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He wrapped his arms around her.

"No – I -" She sobbed harder. "I lost the baby."

Ganondorf froze. "What?"

"I lost the baby. I – I'm not pregnant anymore."

There was silence for a moment. Peach drew back from him, looking him in the eye. He didn't say anything, couldn't process this. Their baby was... gone?

Without another word, he stood and left the tent.


	6. Chapter 6

Slowly, the world returned to its normal state.

The Smash Mansion was one of the first things to be rebuilt. With Master Hand's help, the whole Mansion was restored in a matter of weeks. Shortly after that, reconstruction efforts began in Smashville, those who had fled in the face of Tabuu's reign trickling back into town. Shops reopened, houses were rebuilt, and on the whole, life was normal.

Shortly after the reconstruction of Smashville was mostly finished, the end of the fourth Super Smash Brothers tournament was announced. There was a small party – subdued as it never had been before – and then the Smashers were sent home.

Ganondorf and Peach never exchanged a word as they walked through their portals.

* * *

Ganondorf languished in the Sacred Realm.

He cursed the Goddesses that he couldn't be there with her – that he hadn't said anything – that he'd walked away and allowed her to think what she would about the situation. Somehow, he just knew she was blaming herself.

He cursed the Goddesses for their punishment. What had he done that was so horrible that it warranted taking an innocent life?

"How dare you?!" he bellowed. "How could you take our child from me... from her?!"

There was no answer, but that only enraged him more.

" _Answer me!_ "

"What do you want me to say?" came a bored voice. A woman with dark skin and flaming red hair appeard before him, arms crossed over her chest. "This wasn't our doing. If there's anyone you should blame, it's the being you destroyed."

"I do. But –"

"No buts. Everything that happens in that world is all the work of those Hands or that weird Tabuu guy. We have nothing to do with that." Her face softened. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry that that happened."

"You can't fix it."

"No. Even I can't bring back the dead."

"I understand."

He turned away, expecting Din to disappear.

"You know, I might be able to help you fix it."

He whipped around to face her. "What? What do you mean?"

"I might be able to persuade my sisters to help you out. See, I can't get you out of this realm on my own – it takes all three of us to open a portal like that. What I might be able to do is persuade them that you've been stuck in here for long enough, and that it's time to let you out so you can redeem yourself."

"Redeem myself?" He snorted. "They'll never let me out."

"Okay, so maybe they won't let you into Hyrule. But maybe they can be persuaded to let you out into the Mushroom Kingdom instead."

He hesitated. "There must be some kind of a catch."

"Of course there is. You'll have to give up your piece of the Triforce, probably. And you won't be able to come back to Hyrule. Your descendants might be able to, though. But that should be it."

Ganondorf weighed his options, but in the end, there was only one choice he could live with making.

"If you can do it, do it."

Din winked. "I'll be back soon."

Sure enough, she reappeared within moments, along with her two sisters.

"I say we should let him go. At this point, there's no reason not to."

"Farore, he's a danger to any world he lives in, Triforce or not. He needs to remain here in the Sacred Realm, where we can at least watch him."

"My lady, may I ask when I've been a danger to any other world?"

Nayru didn't even spare him a glance. "You destroyed an ancient being in the Smash world."

"That being has attempted to destroy or at least subjugate that world in the past. If anything, I was doing that world a favour." He grimaced at the idea.

"Regardless, you still destroyed a being while under the terms of a peace treaty. And you changed yourself into Ganon without using the power of the Triforce."

"It was more in self-defense than anything else. He killed my child."

Finally, Nayru looked at him. "I see. That is a pity. Regardless, you remain a danger."

"How about a trial period? Give him six months in the Mushroom Kingdom, and if you don't like his behaviour, we can bring him back."

Nayru rolled her eyes at Din. "You know we can't watch over other worlds like that. How will we know how he behaves?"

"The Mushroom Kingdom has deities. If we talk to them, they might be willing to help us out."

Nayru considered this. "Very well. We can talk to the deities of the Mushroom World and see if they will aid us."

Nayru and Farore disappeared. Din winked at Ganondorf, then followed suit.

They returned with company.

"So thou art the one who I must watch over?" the strange deity said. "I see. I am Grambi. These three tell me that thou art wooing the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom."

"I am."

"That is wonderful. She is a fine woman." He turned to the other three. "I will watch over this man while he is in mine world. Rest assured that any misdemeanours will be reported."

"Thank you, Grambi," Din said. She turned to her sisters. "Shall we?"

The three clasped hands and concentrated, and a portal materialized. Grambi led the way though it. Ganondorf grinned, bowed to his Goddesses, and followed him.

_I'm coming, my love._

* * *

Peach was inconsolable.

For two weeks after the Smash Tournament had ended, she refused to leave her bed. She barely ate, and matters of state requiring her attention were put on hold, as she wouldn't even try to deal with them.

The only thing running through her mind was the loss of the two things she loved the most.

_He never even said anything to me... He must blame me for all this. Our child..._

The thought brought on another bout of sobbing. She clutched a pillow tight to her chest, wishing it could grow a set of arms and hold her in return. Wishing it was Ganondorf holding her.

Mario and Luigi had come to visit her once or twice in the time since the Tournament, telling her how sorry they were about what had happened. They offered her their ears in case she wanted to talk about anything. Throughout the visits, she was silent, not even offering a word to her two best friends.

She felt bad for it, but there was no way she could face anyone after what had happened.

She rolled over in her bed to face the window, hoping a view of her beautiful gardens would help to cheer her up. It brought back her memories of the day she and Ganondorf had conquered the hedge maze at Smash Mansion, which made her sob again.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light through the window. Peach stood and rushed over to it, staring down into the courtyard, where a portal had appeared. As she watched, Grambi came through it, and then a figure that made her heart stop.

"Ganondorf..." she whispered. She bolted for the door.

She ran down to the courtyard as fast as she could, dodging servants along her path. She pushed out of the massive double doors that stood between her and her objective, and froze at the top of the stairs.

It really was him!

He turned at the sound of the doors opening, and grinned at the sight of her. He opened his arms slightly, and she threw herself down the stairs and into his arms.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "It's good to see you again."

"I'm so glad you're here." She raised her head to look at him, suddenly anxious. "You don't..."

"I don't what?"

"Blame me for what happened?"

"The only one to blame is Tabuu," he said firmly, kissing her forehead. "And I destroyed him. Of course I don't blame you."

Her mouth opened as if to speak, but she couldn't summon up any words. Instead, she smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. She pressed her face into his chest, and he held her tight for a while.

"Princess! What was that – Oh my!"

The pair turned to see Toadsworth coming down the stairs towards them. They shared a look of exasperation before they both smiled at Toadsworth.

* * *

Life went on in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Peach and Ganondorf returned to their previous comfort level around the other. Soon enough, they were practically inseparable; he could always be found in the back of the room when she was handling matters of state.

Their rooms were in opposite wings of the castle, though, which was something both privately swore at Toadsworth for.

About three months after Ganondorf made his way into the Mushroom Kingdom, he could be seen frequenting jewellery stores around the kingdom. Shortly thereafter, he made a formal proposal of marriage to Princess Peach, who happily accepted.

For the five months their engagement lasted – mostly because the actual wedding planning was being tied up in red tape, courtesy of Toadsworth – Peach would show her ring to anyone who was around, even if they'd already seen it.

They were married in a ceremony that was far too grand for either of their tastes. Practically everyone from the Kingdom was in attendance, packing the Great Hall of the castle with noise and life. The reception was much smaller but no less celebratory.

Nine months later, Peach gave birth to a healthy baby girl. There was no question from either of her parents as to what to name her.

Her name was Rose.


End file.
